- What's the matter, Ma?
- Where's my Coke?
I need a cold Coca-Cola.
- Yeah, it was a difficult process.
I said, "Viola, will you please?"
And she said, "Yes."
(upbeat jazz music)
- She's a phenomenal actress.
I mean, just can't stress that enough.
- She's a powerful, powerful individual.
This woman's a beast.
- I couldn't sense Viola Davis,
I can only see her as Ma Rainey.
- They don't care nothing about me.
All they want is my voice.
- Ma is definitely the boldest, the strongest in every way
character that I've played in August Wilson.
- Really a joy to watch her create a new role,
a new character, and how much fun she's having doing it.
- Absolutely loved it.
They want to call me Mother of Blues,
that's all right with me.
It don't hurt none.
- Just to be in the room with her.
She's generous.
She's funny.
She's really funny, actually.
I think she's funnier than most people know.
- I ain't worried about what nobody else said.
I know I messed up those lines.
(laughing)
- She's an extraordinarily transformative actor.
By being who she is and her skill,
her craft as an actor and her commitment as an artist
makes it easy for you to play opposite her.
- I heard you.
You had that bass jumping all over the place.
- I was following Toledo.
- When she looks at you in the eyes she is receiving
from you as well.
She doesn't have it all figured out
that this is my performance.
She is looking at her fellow actors to say,
I'm going to respond to what you give me
because it is our performance.
Viola is so real and raw and she gives a damn.
- She's one of the greats, of all time.
It's an honor for me to find roles that give
all of us the chance to see how brilliant she is.
- God knows Viola's is celebrated artist,
cause she deserves to be.
And no line, no pause, no look, no moment goes uninvested
when it comes to Viola Davis.
(upbeat jazz music)